Hell Hath No Fury Like a Nobody Scorned
by istoleyourcheesecake
Summary: To his surprise, the Struggle bat in his hand turned into the mysterious Keyblade. A key that opened the lock in the Pandora's Box of his life, sending him stumbling into confusion, desperation, fear. Roxas's POV look into his final days in Twilight Town. This is by canon and rated M for language. For Roxas is pissed once he begins to understand just how badly he had been screwed.
1. I - The Keyblade's Chosen One

**AN: Hi guys! This is my first attempt to publish fan fiction, and the first piece I've written since... I dunno, in years. I surely appreciate all the comments you have, both + and -.**

**The language is harsh because, well, I wanted Roxas to sound more mature (for him, he is). Also, he has every right to be pissed - basically everyone he ever knew, except for the Twilight Gang, did nothing but pissed into his porridge.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Heaven knows I wish... But nay, Square-Enix does.**

I – The Keyblade's Chosen One

He had been baffled enough to stop his attack when he had felt an energy wave to wash over him. The next thing he had noticed was that the cheering crowd had suddenly fallen silent and frozen, like time had stopped for them. But right now all he could think about, all he saw was the undoubtedly threatening _thing_ he was facing.

The white creature danced dangerously in front of stunned Roxas. He could just stare at it for a moment, eyes widened with shock and confusion. He nearly dropped his struggle bat in disarray. This isn't happening, thought Roxas, what the hell's going on?!

"_That's not Vivi,"_ Seifer had spat out before storming out of sight. _"Trash him!" _

It most certainly was not Vivi, Seifer had got that one right, Roxas thought. He was beginning to feel pretty damn scared when more enemies appeared out of nowhere, surrounding him.

"Again?!" Roxas felt panic rising inside him. What could he do? He needed something to defend himself with. The struggle bat would be of no use.

Instantly, the bat transformed into the Keyblade. "Again?" Roxas questioned out loud, obviously puzzled, but quickly let the initial surprise go as he remembered the situation he was in. He readied himself for the seemingly unavoidable battle and took a wide step back to lower his stance.

The first enemy launched directly at him, aiming for Roxas's torso. Not a very smart move, thought Roxas. That was the technique Hayner often used when the two of them sparred, he was pretty used to it. Roxas quickly dodged down onto his left, simultaneously slicing his blade horizontally, hitting his enemy straight into its side. The creature let out a strangled croak before vanishing into whiteness, trembling.

Roxas looked up – only to see that another creature was about two steps from him, readying to strike down to his head. He rolled out of the way as a heavy punch landed into the ground where he had been just a moment ago. He let out an exasperated sigh and lifted his weapon into a new strike. Adrenaline was rushing through his system, his heart was racing with nervous excitement. "Leave me alone!" Roxas roared as he jumped forward towards the nearest enemy, raised his blade above his head and brought it down to the creature's head with force. Another enemy vanished.

He hadn't been fast enough. Roxas let out a pained cry and fell forward into the ground as another creature kicked him hard into his back. Roxas's hands and knees met ground and he felt the stinging pain when skin peeled off of them. Ignoring the feeling, Roxas rolled onto his back, gathered his small weight onto his hands and easily kicked himself up again.

Just in time. He raised his blade instinctively to block the incoming attack, only inches away from his forehead. Roxas grit his teeth when the sting in his hands returned, but he had no choice. He gripped his blade firmly and managed to throw his attacker off balance with a strong push. In an instant he resumed his attack and finished the enemy off with a swift, diagonal swing across its chest.

Just one left.

The last one didn't move for a while, it just kept dancing from side to side about ten steps from Roxas. Although its eyes were not to be seen, Roxas got the feeling it stared at him. It was unnerving. Seriously _unnerving_. He stood up to his full height and pointed the Keyblade threateningly towards the thing.

"Who are you people?" he snarled at it. "What the hell do you want from me?!" he yelled as he quickly resumed his battle stance and sprung towards the enemy.

This time the thing had expected it. It had observed Roxas, studying his tactics. It blocked his direct attack, and the Keyblade gave out a metallic screech as the hard surfaces collided. Roxas hadn't anticipated that, however, and was thrown back a step – just enough time for the creature to land another well-aimed kick into his left side, just below his ribcage. Roxas's vision went black for a split second as he let out an exasperated breath of pain. That hurt!

He collected himself in time to barely dodge the next attack. He took a quick step to the right just as the creature's metallic arm, followed by the rest of the creature's body, swung closely by him, close enough to cut a shallow wound into his left arm.

That was the worst mistake it ever made. While attacking Roxas, and missing, it had turned its back towards Roxas, if only for a moment. Roxas took the offered chance and plunged his Keyblade furiously deep into the creature's shoulder. It shrieked – a dry, searing sound that was like cutlery grinding against a porcelain plate. Bewildered, Roxas dragged the blade downwards, across its back as the creature turned into white smoke and disappeared.

Roxas couldn't move an inch. He breathed heavily trying to calm himself. He was angry, furious even. The urge to fight still bubbled inside him. His body and mind were tense with a twisted lust for blood. He snarled out of sheer instinct to kill before he got killed himself. Slowly he managed to calm down and his battle energy drained out of him, leaving behind only helplessness. He blinked several times as he observed his surroundings.

Dead quiet. All still. All the people had been frozen in their place like a collection of extremely high quality wax dolls. Roxas didn't know if they were dead or alive. He couldn't move. He couldn't even breathe. He opened his mouth to speak, to call out for his friends, but he was interrupted as a new sound echoed from behind him. Someone clapping hands. Roxas instantly spun around to locate the source of the sound, partially ready to defend himself again, in case that someone turned out to be hostile.

The person wore a black, full-length leather coat and its hood was pulled over his head, completely covering his face.

"Roxas. Alright. Fight, fight, fight!" The tall and slender figure stopped clapping and started walking towards the struggling circle. Roxas stared at him with an angry expression settling on his face. He subconsciously tried to appear dangerous, and studied the intruder to determine whether or not Roxas could trust him. At the moment, he most certainly didn't. Who is this guy? How did he know his name? Did he do this?! It was damn difficult to evaluate anyone without seeing their faces, however.

"You really don't remember?" Why should I? "It's me. You know, Axel." The man removed his hood, revealing the wildest-looking bright red hair Roxas had ever seen. The man had sharp features, and under his emerald green eyes, he had some kind of triangle-shaped markings. Roxas eyed the stranger warily.

"Axel?" Roxas spoke with a questioning tone, raising his eyebrow. The name said _completamento nada_ to him. Although, deep down, he felt like something moved inside him, but he ignored it.

"Talk about blank with a capital "B". Man, oh man. Even the Dusks aren't gonna crack this one." As he said it, two flaming wheels with sharp-looking spikes appeared in his hands. Taken aback by his sudden action, Roxas hurried to demand:

"Wait a sec! Tell me what's going on!" He had decided this stranger _was_ worth being afraid of, and his sudden outburst gave him desperate kind of courage.

Axel looked around casually. "This town is his creation, right? Which means we don't have time for a Q&A. _You're_ coming with _me_, conscious or not." Axel took a fighting stance and readied his weapons. "Then you'll hear the story."

Roxas watched in horror as Axel whirled his weapons around, obviously just playing with them for now. Fearful expression rose to his face and he took a couple of desperate steps backwards. He wanted to run. He eyed the formidable weapons in the redhead's hands, really not wanting to get to know them any better. He could practically feel a fiery spike sinking into his flesh just by looking at them. He took another step back.

He was stopped short, however, when the air around them suddenly became alive. It bent as bursts of energy, matter even, traveled trough the air, circling them. Luckily, the sudden change in the atmosphere took Axel by surprise as well. He lowered his weapons and looked around for the cause of the disruption.

Oh, you gotta be shitting me.

Roxas really was in a bender. His emotions changed from "scared shitless" to "extremely annoyed" in the second Axel lowered his weapons. What was with this guy? He didn't understand it, any of it. He felt frustration rising inside him, and as he glanced downwards, he remembered the Keyblade he was still clutching in his hand. This... this thing was the reason for all of this. It had to be. All of the weird stuff had started happening since this thing first appeared. He brought the blade to his eye level, never turning his studying eyes from it. Suddenly, he hated it. With all of his might, he hated it. Enraged, he threw the blade as hard as he could towards Axel's feet. It missed him by several feet.

"What's going on?!" he demanded, pissed off and overwhelmed.

Roxas didn't know whether to laugh or cry when the discarded weapon immediately reappeared in his hand. Oh, fucking marvelous, he thought. He stared at the blade with anger and despair. He didn't want it. He didn't want any of this. He just wanted his fucking life back! Was that really too much to ask?

Axel spoke when Roxas refused to avert his eyes from his weapon, "Number XIII – Roxas, the Keyblade's Chosen One." Was that mockery in his voice? The Keyblade itself seemed to think that way since Roxas felt an irritated white, burning wave of heat in the blade and heard a metallic _chink_ as Axel spoke those words. And although Roxas detested his ungodly tie to this weird object, at the moment he realized that the weapon and he had a common enemy. Hence, he accepted his fate for the time being and gripped the handle firmly again.

"Okay, fine! You asked for it!" he spat out as he took his fighting stance and swung the Keyblade back. Axel readied himself for a battle as well.

* * *

Metal collided against metal with a high-pitched cling, and Roxas managed to direct the incoming attack to his side. Axel had swung towards him with full force, and the block threw him off balance for just enough a while for Roxas to sidestep out of the way and away from the redhead.

Roxas knew he was in serious trouble. Axel was a deadly skilled professional, a one man killing machine if he wanted to, he could tell just by looking at his perfected technique. The only thing that had saved Roxas, he knew, was the fact that this time Axel apparently wasn't planning on killing him. He had said he wanted Roxas to come with him, and that, Roxas could only hope, hadn't meant in a body bag...

He dodged at the last second as a flame wheel was sent flying towards him. He could feel the heat on the weapon as it flew by him.

"Hahhaa. Just like the good ol' times, eh, Roxas?!" Axel laughed cheerfully at him. "Great, isn't it?" Another wheel flew towards Roxas, but this time he hit it aside towards a wall. It sank about two inches into the concrete and stilled there. "Pheew. Nice. You haven't rusted a bit." Axel smirked at him as he summoned his weapon back.

What the hell was he talking about? "Shut up!" Roxas barked back at him, trying to appear confident and threatening. The truth was, he was getting tired. He tried not to let that show, but Roxas couldn't help but wonder how long he could go on with the fight. Axel didn't seem tired at all. If the fight would go on for much longer...

It didn't. Suddenly, a masked character appeared out of nowhere. Axel noticed him first, followed by Roxas. The person was tall and scary-looking, and was wearing a wine colored cape and a matching mask that covered his entire head, save for his mouth and eyes. "Huh?" Roxas exclaimed out loud, involuntarily. What was with the outfit?

Axel's whole aura got a hateful edge as the intruder entered. "So it was you," he stated venomously. Elegantly like a wildcat he jumped backwards to regain his posture, summoned flames into his weapons and threw them towards the man. The masked man didn't even blink as he calmly observed the burning hell-wheels approaching him and getting blocked by a shield of white light. The man didn't seem to care about the redhead, and instead turned to face Roxas.

"Roxas." His voice was deep and loud, and made a shiver run down Roxas's back. "This man speaks nonsense." This Roxas hadn't expected, and he was even more puzzled.

"Roxas, don't let him deceive you!" called Axel from the other edge of the circle. Roxas wasn't quite sure, but he could swear he could hear a hint of panic in Axel's voice. Why?

"Roxas!"

"Roxas!"

Roxas, Roxas, Roxas, Roxas...

It was too messed up, Roxas couldn't take it anymore. He didn't know what to think, except that he wanted out of this situation. He didn't understand at all, and couldn't believe anything any more. It was all too much. He took subconsciously a few hesitating steps back, trying to run away. The air had started to live again as invisible creatures made of energy swam by him. The men's voices roared in his ears. How could he know who to believe: the guy who had nearly killed him in the fight earlier, or the one wearing a mask who had come out of nowhere to claim the other spoke nonsense? He shut his eyes and brought his hands to his ears to try to block out the world. Oh, he wanted to escape it, wanted something reasonable. He briefly thought of his friends. Hayner. Pence. Olette.

He didn't know what else to do. "Hayner! Pence! Olette!" he called out to his friends.

He was standing in the struggling circle, surrounded by a cheering crowd and holding his struggle bat. He opened his eyes and took in the sight of Vivi falling to the ground.

"What- what just happened?!" exclaimed a voice through the speakers. Everything was... back to normal? What the hell had happened? Through a confused haze Roxas could tell that Vivi slowly got up and walked away from the arena as his friends came running to him, hugging him and congratulating him heartily...


	2. II - The 6th Day

**AN: I just want to cry every time I read this myself. And surely shall the next time I'm playing KH2. Rooooxaaaaas!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any right to any characters or Kingdom Hearts.**

II – The 6th Day

The vision faded as Pence was shaking his shoulder and calling Roxas's name constantly.

"Did you see her?"

"Yeah, watch the window, closely," Roxas pointed towards the decorated window in the second floor. She was there. Only Pence would never know it.

On their way back to the Usual Spot, Roxas felt sick, almost nauseous, and drew a deep breath to set his mind straight. Pence asked if he was alright for it was unlike Roxas to space out like that. Roxas denied it, forced out a small laughter and claimed that he was just a bit tired and that Pence was worrying for nothing. Pence elbowed him into his arm and teased that the Struggle Champion Roxas had gotten scared of a ghost at the _scaaaary_ old mansion. Roxas laughed heartily and retorted with a friendly punch into his belly, claiming that Pence, in return, should keep his mouth shut or he _would_ give him something to be scared about.

He didn't notice it himself however, nor did Pence for that matter, but Roxas had begun to tremble.

"_Don't you wanna know the truth – about who you really are_?" the girl in white had asked him innocently.

Innocent, my ass, Roxas now thought.

Naminé had said that about a year ago, she had to take apart the memories chained together in this Sora guy's heart, and that now _Roxas_ hold half of what he is. Those words had made zero sense to Roxas. And yet, they had left him feeling like suddenly he didn't know himself at all anymore. The dreams... Just who the hell was this Sora? What did he have to do with Roxas? Why did he know him? For he was sure he knew him – and his friends, Donald and Goofy. It bewildered him. Not that he believed in dream omens or anything like that, but the fact that he had had a dream about Sora almost every single night for the past week... And all these visions lately... It was weird. Hence, he had searched for the answer. There were just too many questions. He needed to know. For it all to make _any_ sense.

He hadn't liked the answer. And yet, although he had refused to believe it, somewhere deep inside, Roxas knew Naminé had told the truth – the whole truth and nothing but the truth. That Roxas himself in fact – and this was what nearly caused him to lose his lunch – was never supposed to exist.

"_What? How could you even say such a thing, even if it were true?!_" The girl had only chuckled at him.

"_I'm sorry. I guess some things really are better left unsaid._" She hadn't meant it.

She had also said that Sora needed him. That he needed Roxas in order to get back the way he used to be.

Unbelievable.

It was insane, it had to be. A cruel joke that had gotten gravely out of control. And yet... There were all those incidents that had occurred lately. The hair in the back of Roxas's neck stood up as an involuntary shiver ran down his spine. He remembered the first time he thought he had seen that girl in the white dress. Naminé. The frozen-still images of Pence and Olette sneaked their way into his mind. At the time, it had seemed like a dream, and Roxas had successfully managed to make himself believe it had been one. At the time. Now there had been several times.

* * *

_Restoration at 97 percent._

* * *

A hooded figure in black leather coat entered the dark alley as the portal of darkness closed behind him. It was raining. He started walking in a steadfast way towards the looming castle on top of the highest hill in sight. There was something eerily familiar about the surroundings. The neon lights from not-so-numerous signs gave a lifeless and artificial glow to his coat.

He hadn't noticed he was followed. Suddenly, shadows as tall as himself with enormous lightning-edge ears crawled up from the ground and surrounded him. He wasn't scared, though. In fact, he had expected some opposition, either from _them_ or from these creatures. Calmly he raised his hands slightly and summoned a weapon into both of them. At first, they both looked identical – a key-shaped item with a large golden handle – but in an instant the weapons became alive and took their own preferred forms. The weapon in his left had glowed white, lengthened a little and became an ornamental white blade with beautiful gradients of light blue and yellow. The other, however, turned pitch-black and took an ominous form with firm edges and a strong chain attached to the blade. The demons around him eyed this formidable weapon nervously.

He had slain a few of the enemies easily, but there were lots of them and more appeared. Unnerving. He couldn't handle this many. He grit his teeth and cursed under his breath.

As he looked up, he saw that on top of the skyscraper he was fighting in front of stood a man. A slender, silver-haired man with a coat similar to his own and for some reason a blindfold over his eyes. Roxas snorted in doubt, but decided that he would have to do. He couldn't fight these creatures off all by himself, and the guy seemed strong enough. So he sprung up to the skyscraper and, defying gravity, started running up its facade. The male on the roof looked down at him with a calm expression. When he had almost reached the top, he threw the dark blade from his right hand towards the other man. He jumped down from the roof to catch the blade.

Time seemed to slow down for them as they passed each other, lighted by the enormous neon screen, Roxas still running higher and the other man falling by him. Roxas turned to study him and was somewhat surprised to see the other male doing the same, despite his blindfold. Briefly, Roxas felt like something was trying to break into his mind, try to make him fully expose himself.

The feeling disappeared as fast as the man had passed him, and Roxas decided to ignore it and focus on the matter at hand. With a deep battle cry, he jumped back down to rejoin the battle.

The creatures were no match for the two of them. They finished them off swiftly and effectively, forcing them to vanish into thick blackish blue smoke. After drawing a couple of shaky breaths, as if out of some mutual understanding, they turned against each other.

The guy had some skill, Roxas had to give him that, but he was better. He grounded the silver-hair with a simple-dodge-and-hit combo.

"Why? Why do you have the Keyblade?" Roxas wasn't going to answer.

"Shut up!" he snapped at him and raised his weapon to strike him down.

* * *

Roxas woke up a mess. He had a vague memory of his dream but no idea what it had been about. He remembered the skyscraper and himself fighting a guy with silver hair... but whatever for? He had a funny feeling when got up: it was like he'd see the world for the first time. Or was it more like the last time? He didn't feel like himself at all. However, Roxas decided that he had just slept lightly and was probably still a bit tired, but he didn't want to waste time. He didn't want to keep his friends waiting. He had already ruined the beach trip for them by losing the munny pouch, and although they didn't really say it out loud, he knew they were disappointed and probably still blaming Roxas for it. He refused to let them down again. He got dressed and headed straight to their Usual Spot.

All of his friends were there already. They were talking and obviously didn't notice Roxas right away, so he decided to let his presence to be known. "Man, I could not sleep last night," he stated casually. Nothing. No-one asked him why was that or if he was feeling alright; they didn't even bother to turn to look at him. Roxas raised an eyebrow. "Guys?" This was strange. Were they that pissed off that they didn't want to talk to him? He wasn't _that_ late or anything, and he had already apologized for the beach trip. Sheesh! He reached out to grab Hayner's shoulder.

It went straight through.

Roxas gasped audibly and took a scared step back, eyes widening. What the hell?! His hand had just gone through Hayner as if he were an apparition. Hayner apparently hadn't noticed anything for he kept on talking as if nothing had happened. Roxas watched, mortified, how his best friends laughed at Hayner's joke – he always told the best ones. They didn't seem the least bit concerned that Roxas was missing. Didn't they care anymore? thought Roxas.

Or was it that... they couldn't miss him because – to them – he wasn't supposed to be there in the first place? Roxas blinked a couple of times just to think this through again. He had been present for a while, so there were two possible answers to why they were still ignoring him: either they were all dead and Roxas literally saw ghosts, or then... it was the other way around and _they_ didn't know he was there. His friends didn't see him. They couldn't hear nor could they even touch him. Touch, or be touched.

Desperation and shock overwhelmed him when suddenly his friends, Hayner first and then the rest of the gang, spun around and ran for the exit – straight through Roxas. No, he thought. Please don't do this. Don't go. Don't forget about me. Roxas could feel a part of him leaving him along with his friends.

There was nothing he could do. He could try to yell, but he knew it would be a wasted attempt. For his friends – at this he wanted to cry and he cast his eyes to the ground – he didn't exist anymore. Then he noticed the photo of the gang laying on the bench Hayner always liked to sit on. He grabbed it, prepared to witness what he did. He wasn't there. For his friends, he thought bitterly, he had probably never been there. He let out the deepest of all sighs before putting the picture back onto the bench and headed for the doorway. His eyes glimmered with unshed tears, but he blinked them away.

He wanted to go after his friends, even if it were in vain. Where could they have gone? "_C'moon, let's go!_" Hayner had called out gladly before rushing out of the doorway. Roxas searched them with his eyes from the Underground Passage's entrance and the staircase, but they were nowhere to be seen. I'll check everywhere, he though, I'm not stopping until I'll find them and get some answers.

His trail of thought was interrupted when a white being, similar to those he had fought at the struggling tournament, appeared by the staircase, and another to block his way into the Underground Passage. Lastly appeared Axel. Oh, this just keeps getting better and better, thought Roxas and rolled his eyes.

"Look at what it's come to. I've been given these icky orders to destroy you if you refuse to come back with me," Axel said, aiming for nonchalant but his tone gave away that he was pleading. Roxas really didn't quite feel suicidal enough to fight Axel at the moment, but then again he was certainly not going anywhere with him, so instead he tried to talk his way out of it. What had Naminé said to him again...?

"We're... best friends, right?" Roxas could almost believe that himself. Damn shame, he thought sarcastically, he would have made a great actor.

Axel scratched the back of his head and muttered, "Sure, but I'm not getting turned into a Dusk for..." Then it dawned to him. "Wait a sec! You remember now?!" he demanded eagerly. He seemed sincerely hopeful, and Roxas thought that maybe, for some reason, this person actually had considered him a friend at some point. So he claimed yes.

"Great!" Axel meant it. "But, eh, gotta make sure and all so, uh," he hesitated a little, "what's our boss's name?!" I suppose "I don't give a damn" isn't the correct answer, right? thought Roxas. Not bothering to answer, he simply shrugged.

Axel's face dropped, Roxas noted; funnily, he had really hoped for him to know the answer. His empty stare practically screamed at Roxas: draw your weapon! Roxas complied, for he saw no way to avoid the battle anymore. He bent down to pick up a stick from the ground, praying for a miracle. The stick immediately transformed into the Keyblade. Relieved, Roxas lowered his stance, and mentally prepared himself to struggle until he couldn't struggle anymore and then to be torn apart by burning spikes. He was no match. Axel summoned his weapons as well, but instead of attacking immediately he resulted into playing with them intimidatingly in front of Roxas for a while. This was a deterrent tactic. This was Axel's fun-time.

"You know Roxas... I really didn't want it to end this way," he said dangerously, his now hungry-for-blood eyes never leaving Roxas's. "But you've left me no choice!" Axel drew back his hand to prepare for an attack. Roxas swallowed nothing and braced himself to receive it.

It never came. Suddenly, Axel froze to his place, just like the crowd at the struggling tournament had. Roxas looked around for a second: the creepy dancers had frozen as well. A forceful voice of the masked man roared in Roxas's mind like thunder. "Roxas! To the mansion! The time has come," it ordered him.

Something about the way how the voice drowned all other noises under it gave Roxas the feeling that the mansion would be a one-way trip. But what else could he do? Where else could he go? He had the hunch he would be walking straight into a trap and wouldn't return. Hence, he gave it one last desperate attempt to reach out to his friends. "Hayner! Pence! Olette!" Roxas yelled towards the skies. He was rewarded with silence.


	3. III - Nobody

**AN: Personally, I think this is both the best as well as the saddest chapter so far. Please let me know what you think of it. I appreciate it and hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or hold any rights.**

III – Nobody

Roxas didn't need to think where he was going. It was like his legs knew exactly where to take him, so they did all the navigating while Roxas finally got his chance to cry. He ran as did the tears from his eyes. He was terrified. He didn't know what was there at the mansion except all the answers he so desperately needed to hear. But also knowing that he most likely wouldn't return... it scared him. It scared him so much! He whispered the names of his friends over and over like a weird mantra. Anything to keep him from falling apart. A part of him, that optimistic minority part of him tried to think positively: perhaps there was hope. Perhaps he would finally find out the reason to all these weird incidents, perhaps he would come back and make up with his friends. Perhaps there was a universe in which everything would turn out just fine, and years later this whole happening would be but a happy memory to recall.

Unfortunately his pessimistic majority part denied such a universe of ever existing.

He cursed it all: the Keyblade, Axel, that weird guy wearing a mask, those ungodly creatures that had assaulted him for ever since the photo theft... He even cursed his friends who had just plain forgotten about him, but immediately took that back. It wasn't their fault. Roxas knew, he just knew it that there was something greater going on, and he didn't want possibly the last memory of his friends to be a negative one. His heart ached at the loss, and he squeezed his eyes shut tight. Blinded, he stumbled upon a tree root and fell heavily onto the grassy ground. He laid there for a while, gasping for air and sobbing uncontrollably – heartbroken and horrified. Why? Why was this happening to him, what had he done to deserve this?! He just couldn't know.

But, he thought as his breath finally calmed down and he wiped his tears, that's the very reason why I'm going to the mansion right now, isn't it? I could have chosen not to, but I am going there. I _need_ to know! He got up and dusted the leaves off of his pants. He raised his blond head high and looked up to the sky: he would do it. Suddenly, this felt like the most important thing he had ever done. He desperately needed to find out what the fuck was going on, even if it – and this was where he finally let the looming thought formulate in his mind – cost him his life.

With new energy, he started running again, eagerly this time.

* * *

Roxas entered the White Room, not at all surprised it actually looked exactly the way it had in the vision Naminé had shown him. There were pictures on the walls, just like he remembered. He started walking around the room skimming through the pictures with his eyes. They weren't too good, but there was something in the messy, drafty style of hers that got your attention. Especially... Roxas stopped when he noticed a picture undoubtedly representing himself. In the picture, he was his back towards the viewer in some weird blue... crystallized place he could swear he knew but couldn't remember where from. He couldn't get his eyes off of it.

At that moment, a searing headache tore through his consciousness. It felt like a bazillion tiny needles were been pushed into his skull. He brought both of his palms to his forehead in a weak attempt to try to ease the agony. The memories of the life past flooded into his mind.

He walked down an alley of the Dark City, his face dead serious. He had decided. He was running away.

Roxas saw him from long before, but didn't care. Roxas had anticipated that much. In fact, he would have been surprised if he hadn't tried to stop him. He didn't bother to look at Axel when he walked by him.

"Your mind's made up?" Axel questioned with his you-know-that's-stupid voice. Roxas stopped about ten steps from him, not turning around.

"'Why did the Keyblade choose me?' I have to know," Roxas stated over his shoulder. He hadn't intended to talk to him, but he supposed he owed the redhead an explanation. He could only hope he'd understand.

"You can't turn on the Organization!" Roxas sighed. So he didn't. "You get on their bad side, and they'll destroy you!" Axel tried to appear ominous and tried to reason with Roxas, to persuade him to abandon his ridiculous plan. Axel wasn't fooling anyone. His desperation was practically audible in his voice: he just really didn't want to see Roxas leave. That thought momentarily caused Roxas to reconsider – was he surely doing the right thing? – but as the last resort of keeping his mind straight, he forced himself to retort:

"No-one would miss me." He had intended it to sound nonchalant, but only vaguely managed to keep his voice from shaking. Roxas didn't believe himself, either.

That's why he, without looking back, summoned a dark portal and disappeared.

The vision faded, along with the headache, and Roxas felt grateful to Naminé for not tormenting him any longer. He turned to face the girl. She was sitting at the far end of the large table. "Organization XIII – they're a bad group!" Roxas actually hoped for her to deny it.

"Bad or good, I don't know." What the hell was that supposed to mean? "They're a group of incomplete people who wish to be whole. To that end, they're desperately searching for something."

Roxas didn't like her style to talk in open thoughts. "What?" he demanded.

"Kingdom Hearts," Naminé replied know-it-all-y. It irritated Roxas a bit, but he let that slip. He needed the answers. Funny, he thought, that this woman... He should have known all along, since when all this morbid circus had started. Since he first saw her. He laughed a little.

"Funny?" Naminé questioned. Roxas's face turned serious again as he started to walk towards the table.

"It's just... I think I've been running away from the question I really wanna ask." He drew a breath. "What's gonna happen to me now? Just tell me that. Nothing else really matters anymore." Roxas turned his gaze to the floor with a defeated expression settling on his face. He thought of his friends briefly. But if he was on his way to the slaughterhouse, he wanted at least to honestly hear it.

She smiled. "You are..." she started, never finishing. Roxas turned to look at her, only to see her frozen as well, and as he watched, she literally _disintegrated_. Piece by little piece, she came apart and vanished. The masked man appeared behind the chair Naminé had sat on. To Roxas he looked like the executioner. He trembled.

"There's no knowledge that has the power to change your fate!"

Roxas swallowed. Yet, he remembered the reason why he was there and demanded: "Even if it doesn't, I wanna know. I have the _right_ to know!" Because I damn well deserve it, he wanted to add.

The masked man replied as if trying to explain to a baby how particle physics works, "A Nobody doesn't have a right to know. Nor does it even have the right to _be_."

The nerve of this guy! Irritated, Roxas kept on demanding, "But what is a Nobody?!"

He was interrupted by more people appearing from two dark portals that suddenly appeared to both sides of the man. A man in a black coat similar to Axel's addressed the masked man as "DiZ" and said something about there being too many Nobodies, and... Naminé! Something in Roxas's heart jumped. He had thought the girl was a goner.

Naminé spoke first. "Roxas, Nobodies like us are only half a person. You won't disappear, you'll be _whole_! " Wh- what?! Roxas wanted to talk with Naminé, for she had the answers. And unlike everyone else, he thought seething, she had the courtesy to _tell_ him. But what she had said just now...

"I'll..._disappear_?!" he repeated incredulously. Disappear. Not just die. Disappear. To be wiped out of existence, is that it? Was _that_ what was going to happen to him?! Roxas felt dizzy. He wanted to run. Of course, there was nowhere he could go.

The hooded man and the man called DiZ turned their attention to Naminé. They hadn't appreciated her helpfulness. "No further outbursts," DiZ stated angrily as he walked to Naminé.

Naminé hurried to explain, "No, you won't disappear, you'll-" DiZ covered her mouth with his enormous hand and started backing towards the portal, dragging her with him. Roxas instinctively leaped closer, but the hooded man sternly blocked his way. Do not interfere. It didn't take a genius to interpret that gesture.

He had been too late. But before vanishing Naminé managed to struggle away from DiZ's firm grip for just enough to call out to Roxas that they would meet again, some time soon, and that then they could talk about everything. She promised that. Roxas would just have to trust her.

Then they were gone, all of them. "Naminé!" Roxas reached his hand towards the place the portal had been just a moment ago – in vain, but his instincts told him to do something, anything to reach her. You've _got_ to be kidding! He was left, he realized, with nothing more than ever-growing fear and even more questions.

* * *

The floor radiated before disappearing and revealing a hidden staircase leading into the cellar. He eyed it cautiously for a moment, then started tiptoeing down the stairs. Through a doorway on the opposite wall of the pit, he arrived into a large, dark room. Inside there was only machinery of some kind. A gigantic computer, or that's what Roxas considered it, gave out an eerie light into the room. That was the only light there was. It made the place seem lifeless and ice-cold.

The machine was incredible. It had at least fifteen screens, all feeding different, incomprehensible data. Roxas eyed the monitors keenly, but could make nothing much out of it. He noticed there was a moon and some stars, and on a screen was an outline of a person. He looked about the same height as Roxas and apparently had a spiky hair as well.

Then there was the pain again. Headache consumed him, making his vision blur. It had intensified the deeper into the mansion he had wandered. He felt dizzy, and through the haze of his rapidly decreasing consciousness, he could tell he had sank into the ground for his knees met with the cold surface.

* * *

He knew where he was. The Organization XIII's assembly hall. He recognized faces – there was Axel, his former comrades that were sent for a mission at the Castle Oblivion – dead, he knew – and... himself. His indifferent eyes saw nothing as he mindlessly stared at the Nobody's symbol in the center of the hall. Xemnas, their Superior, talked in a deep voice, but Roxas didn't quite catch what he was saying. It's not like he cared that much, anyway. It was most likely some everlasting babbling about Kingdom Hearts again. It always was. If you ask Roxas, the guy needed a hobby.

* * *

He was running, chased by a herd of Dusks. He had done it. He had left. His non-existent heart raced from the adrenaline rush from the preceding battle. Roxas was almost sure Saïx had been waiting for him. It just seemed too much like a coincidence. Somehow, he had known that Roxas might try to run. So he had waited. And lost. Roxas hadn't stopped to look back; as soon as Saïx's grip from his Claymore had slacked and he had dropped the weapon out of exhaustion, Roxas had run. He had known that more would come. Saïx wasn't just going to let him leave. He would usher the entire Dusk army after him if he had to. Or worse. Roxas wasn't going to stick around to find out.

* * *

The dream. About the silver-haired man. He had beaten him, rather easily in fact. "Why? Why do you have the Keyblade?!" Yeah. I wish I knew. That's the goddamn reason why I am in this mess! He raised his weapon to deal the final blow. And the next thing he comprehended was lying in the ground, on his back, and the man gracefully getting up and slowly... walking... to-wards... And then nothing.

Roxas opened his eyes. The Oblivion was stuck into the ground next to him, and using it to get up again, he rose to face his enemy. He sliced towards the man, but he jumped out of the way easily. Roxas gathered himself quickly and launched for another attack. He blocked the dark burst sent his way, and got within the man's fighting range. Roxas wasn't that easy. He had been to the ground, true, but it would require significantly more to actually beat him. The man should have finished him off when he had the chance, Roxas thought. 'Cause now he had just pissed him off.

The silver-hair seemed to realize that as well as he didn't do a thing to attack him. Instead he said, "Come on, Sora! I thought you were stronger than that."

What the...? "Get real. Look which one of us is winning," Sora replied obnoxiously. Only that the words came from now terrified Roxas's mouth.

"So it's true. You really are his Nobody," the man stated blatantly. Anger and terror ate their way into Roxas.

"What are you talking about?" he snapped. "I am me. Nobody else!" He summoned the Oathkeeper, too, and rushed to kill the vehement guy. He hit him hard into his torso and sent him back several yards.

The man seemed to realize that he couldn't win Roxas. Not as he was, at least. He straightened up and... took away his blindfold. Roxas shook his head lightly, a bit baffled by the action. He was snapped out of it, however, when his opponent released a pained roar before disappearing under suddenly surrounding darkness.

What Roxas witnessed next was out of this world. The looks of his opponent had drastically changed. In place of a handsome silver-haired young boy now stood a tall, grown-up man. He had a darker skin tone and white hair, and behind him – Roxas gulped – loomed an enormous Heartless. As a member of the Organization, he had seen quite a few Heartless, but... this was different. The dark power nearly overwhelmed him. Just who the hell was this guy?

Fast. The enemy was way too fast, Roxas never had a chance. He gasped as the dark messenger disappeared from his view, and reappeared about five inches from his face. He had barely time to get scared and glance up, frightened, before he felt two gigantic arms gripping him tightly, squeezing the dear life out of him. He was lifted up. Roxas struggled to breathe, grunted as his lungs were being crushed. The world became hazy, it hurt. Roxas dropped his weapons as his world slowly turned pitch-black and silent.

* * *

"Will it work?"

"If we can maintain the simulated town until Naminé finishes chaining together Sora's memories..." Roxas heard voices, two men talking. His ribs hurt and his head was throbbing. What... what happened? He remembered the pain of being strangled. Remembered fighting... against the other man talking! He tried to open his eyes. Only to realize he couldn't.

What? What is this? "What will happen to Roxas?" I can't move! "He holds half of Sora's power within him." What did you do? "In the end he'll have to give it back." What have you bastards done to me?! Why can't I move? Roxas screamed as hard as he could. Although no-one shall ever know it.

"Until then," continued a deep but disinterested voice, "he'll need another personality to throw off his pursuers." Another...? Wait, what was that supposed to mean? What are you doing? "Poor thing," said the other man wholeheartedly.

Roxas panicked: what the fuck was happening? What are you doing?! Let me out of here! "It's the fate of a Nobody." Roxas heard something clicking, something being readied. Oh, no. No, no, no, NO! Stop it! Let me go! Roxas wanted to yell, wanted to fight. He tried desperately to force his limp figure to move.

He literally felt like he was being incinerated when the data beam hit him. The last thing he remembered was drowning into his own screaming.

* * *

Roxas slowly came to as the overflow of his memories faded. The gradual beeping of the machine bored into his head irritatingly. He shook his head to force it to focus. What he had seen disgusted him. He felt sick. That man, a flame lit into his eyes, was the reason for all of this! DiZ! He clenched his fists tightly. To him, Roxas was a bug. An insignificant insect he could squash anyway he chose to, without as much as a word of explanation as to why. He knew this now, and it infuriated him. A new kind of malice awakened inside him. Roxas wouldn't just sheepishly accept this. He would find his answers. And he would make DiZ pay. He would beat the shit out of him even if it was the last thing he would do. He forced himself up from the floor where he had collapsed and took in the sight of the computer in front of him.

Anger washed into him like a high tide, taking him over instantly. This couldn't be happening to him, he thought. Without thinking, he stepped back a couple of steps and summoned the Keyblade. He didn't care to stop thinking about why he knew he could do it anymore – he just knew it. It had come to him the previous times when he had needed it. This time, though, he didn't only need it – he wanted it. He wanted to break something. To smash this hideous machine that had created the lie.

Roaring out of seething rage, he attacked the computer, hacking its numerous monitors and smashing its core. He didn't care to stop even when the screens went black, images disappearing from the view. No, he wanted demolition. Complete and utter. Roxas hit the mainframe again and again, bearing its wiring and tearing apart its control board. His pulse pumping in his ears, Roxas went on with his assault until he ran out of energy, and withdrew with a defeated, desperate expression settling onto his face, eyes downcast.

He was... a Nobody? Nothingness in a human form that should have never existed. He had no reality, no home, no real friends nor real memories of them... They all had been _programmed_ to create an illusion. A distant voice in Roxas's head said, "_This town is his creation, right?_" It started to dawn to him what the flame-head had meant by that. He was an unfavorable inconvenience that would be dealt with eventually. And apparently "eventually" was pretty soon.

A heavy blast door in the opposite wall opened with a mechanical hiss. Roxas raised his head quickly to locate the source of the sound. The empty darkness he faced didn't do much to help him control his slowly rising panic. He frowned; he was becoming sickly afraid again.

Then, as his mind started to buzz again with flashes of people and places he was certain he had never seen before, and yet could have sworn he knew, Roxas began to understand that smashing the computer had been another trigger to unlock his memories a bit further. _His_ memories. Those of him as he really was, as he had been. A Nobody.

The trash pile of a computer sizzled and hissed as it died down and laid in a crumbled heap on the wall. Next to it, the blond huffed, breath heavily due to both frustrated anger as well as exhaustion from his previous outburst. Roxas stood there, staring at the newly-opened door into the blackness. Then he started moving.

"Goddammit... Goddamn it all!", Roxas murmured to himself from between his teeth as he made it towards the door.

Why was this all happening to him?

He saw faces, people flashing through his mind as memories of the time past forced their way into ascension. He heard voices.

Especially one.

A redhead man. With spikes. And... crackling of fire...

"Axel..." he whispered, first to no-one in particular; then he acknowledged addressing himself when he went on, "Axel... You..."

You son of a bitch.

You knew, didn't you? You knew all the fucking time, he thought.

He felt the anger rising inside him again, that building sensation of rage that was soon going to overwhelm him. Roxas clenched the cold metal in his hand harder as images of the familiar faces flooded into his mind. His former "colleagues" and associates. His kin. His frown deepened and he instinctively bared his teeth into an enraged snarl.

He remembered it all now. With the Organization, he was told nothing. Nothing about why he had the Keyblade and no-one else did, how had it come to be his to wield. What was the Organization's purpose, what was the Kingdom Hearts for. Who he was and where had he come from. Everyone refused to enlighten him about his origins, as a Nobody or at all. All he ever got to hear about were instructions for his next mission or a request to report in regarding the previous one.

Roxas wasn't stupid. He had grown suspicious around the time he was basically pushed aside at the Organization. Saïx had stopped speaking to him, like almost everyone else had. That wasn't too big of a deal, though. Saïx rarely said anything not related to a mission, anyway. But Roxas had also been assigned more and longer missions by the end. They claimed it was due to Roxas's improved performance, but now he thought that perhaps it was more to keep him away from spending too much time with Axel, or sniffing around what was going on in the Organization. He wasn't even invited to meetings anymore.

However, the one person who had kept on talking to him as usual had been his best friend. Axel.

But all those supposedly secret conversations with Saïx at the castle, discussed in hushed voices, all featuring his name and immediately discontinued when Roxas had entered the scene... All that "stuff" to do at the Castle Oblivion Axel never told about... And even when the news of the Castle Oblivion Incident had reached the Castle That Never Was, and _even_ after Axel had returned – safe and sound, as opposed to being dead along the rest of the members there – he had still refused to tell Roxas anything! He had just claimed that, "_Hey, I'm alright and I'm back, isn't that all that matters?_"

All that time they spent together, just talking...

Making Roxas believe they were...

"Friends...", Roxas whispered, more to the emptiness both surrounding and filling him than to himself. His voice was quiet and hollow. After drawing a few shaky breaths, his whole body trembling from anger and despair, he grit his teeth, bit them together hard enough for it to hurt, but he was beyond caring at this point.

He remembered how he had run off of the Organization, to find out who or what he was and what was his purpose. He wanted the answers. He _needed_ the answers. The answers Axel would have had all the time.

That. Bastard.

That goddamn son-of-a-bitch had made him to believe they were friends. They had talked. Laughed together. They had gone on missions together. They even had had that fucking routine of theirs – eating sea-salt ice-cream together at the top of the Clock Tower in Twilight Town after every mission. Roxas had laid down all his defenses around the redhead, basically opened himself fully – and that way provided Axel with all the information he'd ever need to keep Roxas in a leash.

And He had betrayed him.

Axel had known. He had always known. Now that he really thought about it, there was something there in Axel's behavior that had given it away. Roxas hadn't realized it back then, but it suddenly seemed oh, so obvious. A way of looking at Roxas as if he had been... jealous? For what, Roxas had never understood before. Roxas had pleaded, had asked him to please tell him if he knew anything about why the rest of the Organization members seemed to regard him differently. And yet he chose not to tell Roxas. Chose not to tell his so-called best friend that hey, he just happened to be an unnatural embodiment of memories of the true Keyblade Master whom should have never existed. He had betrayed Roxas, for Roxas had trusted Axel when he had said he didn't know either. Who knows what else he had been lying about?

Blood rushed into Roxas's head, enhancing all his senses. His eyes narrowed from seething rage, his breath coming in audible, angered heaves. The face of the redhead, in detail, was burned onto his retinae. He could see him in his mind, hear his voice. Fuck, he swore he could smell the musky, yet smoky aroma that was Axel's scent. And that's what infuriated him.

Roxas was totally pissed.

He wanted to kill something. He wanted to kill Axel. He was going to tear his fucking head off.

Seething, Roxas ran for the blast door and through it into darkness.


	4. IV - Friends

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Unless I win the lottery. Then I shall. I'll buy the entire franchise. Until then, we'll leave it up to Square-Enix. 'Kthnxbye!**

IV – Friends

He had appeared shortly after Roxas had slaughtered the few Dusks unlucky enough to get in enraged Roxas's way. Now Roxas eyed at Axel with an icy glare. "Hello, Roxas," he said in a sad voice. Roxas didn't reply for a long time.

"... You always knew about my connection with Sora, didn't you, Axel?" Roxas fought himself to keep his voice calm. "Why didn't you tell me when I asked about my origin?" Oh, he fought so much. Axel's expression darkened and he dropped his face, but remained silent.

To Roxas, the world – or what little was left of it – shattered. His eyes widened in shock. Despite everything, he felt despair as he witnessed Axel's silent confession: Yes, it's true, I knew. True, he had been furious to the redhead for deceiving him, and he still was, but the feeling had lost its sharpest edge and was reduced into dull throbbing in his mind. After all, Axel had been, and in a way still was, his best friend. It devastated him to see he wasn't going to defend himself. Wasn't going to deny it or even claim that Roxas had got it all wrong and that this had all been a misunderstanding and that he could explain. Nothing. Roxas's shoulders slumped and his eyes burned with tears ready to be shed, but he swallowed and blinked them away quickly.

"And- and the Castle Oblivion?" Roxas demanded, failing to prevent his voice from shaking. "You must have met Sora, right? Did you battle him? You were the only one who survived. Hell, he _killedeveryone else_, Axel!" I remember being so sad when I heard you were dead. Why, Axel? Why didn't you tell me? Why?!

Axel didn't speak for a long while. Instead he gathered himself and started walking along the wall in front of Roxas, his head held high and arms crossed over his chest. When he finally did speak, he didn't look at the blond. "Simply amazing, Roxas," Axel said too lightly for it to sound sincere. Roxas stared at him, unblinking, with a mixture of emotions engulfing him.

Suddenly, he was afraid. There was something dangerous about the air around Axel. Something unpredictable. And yet, now that he really looked at that graceful person, he couldn't help feeling morbid for losing him, despite what he had done and eventually would do to him. "Axel..." He didn't really have anything to say, but he wanted to say it, say Axel's name. To convey that...

"You really do remember me this time!" Axel said with exaggerated satisfaction – a dead give-away for Roxas that the redhead didn't mean what he said – and turned to face the blond, his emerald eyes locking with the sky blue ones. "I'm so FLATTERED!" Axel spat out and as he did so, the air caught on fire, becoming an inferno and surrounding the two of them. Oh, shit! Roxas's stomach dropped in fear. He looked around, desperately searching for rescue.

But Axel wasn't going to let his prey escape this time. He was far from done. His eyes never leaving the bewildered blond, he raged, "But you're too late!" A wisp of hot air enhanced his words as it danced over his palm for a moment.

Roxas could literally feel the heat seeping through him as he watched the all-engulfing flames desperately. He could hear his pulse pumping in his ears as adrenaline rushed into his system. The urge to battle, to fight for his dear life intensified with every breath he took in. His eyes narrowed.

Then so be it. Let's fight. This is what I wanted, anyway. Bring it on, bitch, Roxas thought bitterly as he brought his left hand across his body, to draw out the Oathkeeper. Never stopping the flow, he in turn threw his right hand in front of his chest and summoned the Oblivion. He brought them forth together and took his battle stance. "Two?!" Axel gasped in exasperation. The keyblades glimmered as the flames were reflected upon the metallic surface. With an excited smile on his face, Axel summoned his chakrams. He smirked at Roxas. A smirk that promised him pain. Yeah, Roxas was well aware of the redhead's sadistic tendencies regarding his targets.

Roxas was trembling. Of both fear of his seemingly inevitable death as well as anger. He frowned and bared his teeth as he gasped for air amidst the hellfire surrounding them. He needed to stay focused. Axel was good. He was _excellent_. And this time he hadn't come to play with him. This time, Roxas gulped involuntarily, Axel really wanted to kill him. He grit his teeth and tightened his grip of his weapons.

The keyblades must have sensed Roxas's inner turmoil, for suddenly, Roxas could feel a warm flow in both of his hands. A comforting glow that had nothing to do with the raging flames. He gasped in surprise and glanced down to his weapons.

They shone. Both of them, in their own unique ways, they shone with whatever true force they held. His weapons, Roxas gathered, were encouraging him. He could feel the warmth filling him, calming the chaos in his mind. He swallowed, this time moved, and nodded. Focusing his mind on one thing and one thing only – _surviving_ – he raised his head again to face the redhead.

* * *

Roxas moved first. The keyblades downcast, he dashed towards the flame-wielder. Axel got taken aback by the blond's sudden aggressiveness, but his smirk quickly returned as he sent a fireball flying towards Roxas. He leaped to the side to dodge it and rushed towards the redhead. He sliced at him with both weapons, using them like highly decorative scissors. Axel had the _nerve_ to actually laugh a little as he easily jumped out of the way.

Not that Roxas had imagined he'd be that easy. But before he could launch another raid, Roxas was forced to hastily bring his blades forth to double-block the chakram eagerly on its way to split his skull. He grunted as he felt the energy with which it tried to bore through his defenses: Axel sure as hell wasn't holding back. The throw had been powerful.

Axel didn't move for a while. Roxas observed him carefully, taking in every gesture, every motion, every breath. "You know what?" Axel's voice was testing. "I wasn't too happy to hear Xemnas wants you put down." He summoned back the chakram he had thrown towards Roxas and started swirling them around. "But right now," Axel said, his voice filled with unfiltered anger, "I'm more than happy to comply!" He jumped forward like a lurking lion and rushed towards Roxas, who instantly withdrew a step and prepared to take the attack.

Axel's flame-wheels collided with the keyblades with a cling and screeching. Roxas grit his teeth to summon the strength to withstand as Axel started pressing his weapons down against his, testing his defenses. "Tell me something, Axel," Roxas snarled as he fought against his hands shaking, "Were you just complying orders when you lied to me? Or were you just being the asshole you are?!" The wave of reawakened anger gave Roxas strength: he managed to push Axel back enough to throw him off balance for a split second. It was enough; using the Oblivion, Roxas sliced a nasty-looking cut into his chest that was sure to leave a scar, and quickly readied his weapons for a new attack. He had wasted his chance, however. Axel had collected himself and blocked his attack easily, countering immediately. Roxas yelped as burning sensation ripped through flesh: Axel had got him into his thigh.

Instincts forced Roxas to step back a few steps – a weak attempt to try to escape. He had been lucky: the cut hadn't been but a scratch, which had more surprised him than actually injured him. A thin line of blood was starting to ooze out of it, but he didn't even notice it. What he did notice was Axel, who enclosed the little space created between them in an instant and brought down one of his chakrams – directed into Roxas's ribs.

Roxas jumped back, just enough to be able to block the piercing-sharp weapon. He quickly brought up the Oathkeeper to separate himself from the chakram's spike. Axel's weapon practically sparked as it collided with the beautiful keyblade and slid along it, finally coming to a stop as it met metal again. The chakram had slipped between the gap in the Oathkeeper's blade and had got stuck on the heart ornament.

Axel realized his chance first. With a deliberate twist of his stuck chakram and a sudden, powerful jerk, he yanked the Oathkeeper off of surprised Roxas's hand, and flung it far behind him. Roxas's eyes widened at the realization and he gasped involuntarily. He didn't have time to stop thinking about it beyond that thought, however. Axel spun around to gain momentum for his movement, all the while summoning flames into his weapons, and brought them forcefully towards the blond's temple.

The Oblivion let out a low croak – like a door on ungreased hinges – when the flame-wheels met its surface. Roxas had the blade horizontally in front of his head and he supported it with his free hand. Clung onto it for dear life – it was literally the only thing separating him from a scorching death. He was terrified, but didn't have the time to think about it. Instead, he acted purely on instinct, grit his teeth and struggled to keep his stance from failing.

That was before Axel, his smirk turning cruel, landed a shattering kick into his stomach, which sent him back flying for several feet. He closed his eyes and grunted as his back met with the cool concrete and air escaped his lungs.

For a second, he didn't know anything but pain. His head spun for lack of oxygen, and his stomach stung from the force of the kick. He laid on the ground for who knows how long – half a second, two, three – gasping for air into his abused lungs.

Then he felt the expected as a heavy weight was laid on the Oblivion, pinning it down, and the tip of a chakram's spike was pressed against his throat. Roxas opened his eyes to look at Axel, who's tall frame was hovering over him. He had kneeled beside him, trapping the Oblivion with his right foot and supported his weight on his left knee. Roxas looked at him, at Axel's frowning face and... Roxas gulped as he saw the poison in the redhead's eyes.

"I would hold very still if I were you." Axel's voice was cold and dangerous. Roxas obeyed and forced his tense body to relax, but his persistent snarl remained on his face. _Shit_. Shit shit shit SHIT. Roxas's breath came in little gasps; it was difficult to breathe in that position, but he didn't dare to move. The chakram still reminded him of its existence very clearly. I'm lucky he's put out the flames of the damn thing, he thought briefly.

Axel didn't say anything for a while, just kept staring at Roxas with a frown. "What do you want?" Roxas spat out when his frustration got the best of him. "What the hell are you waiting for? If you're planning on killing me, then just go ahead and do it already!" If I'm on the death list anyway, then why delay it?

Roxas's eyes widened in surprise when he felt the threatening blade being eased, moved away from his skin for ever so little. Axel's cold stare turned into a sad gaze. "Why are you doing this?" What...? "Why do you want to die so badly? Is _that_ the answer you went out to look for?" Axel's tone was empty, and could it be... was it sadness Roxas depicted?

_In the name of all that is holy._

Longing. For their friendship. It dawned to Roxas that he had found a soft spot. He _might_ have a chance. If, just if he played this right, managed to keep Axel distracted enough, he just might... He remembered the general direction he had seen the Oathkeeper fly to, and knew that under no circumstances whatsoever, he _must_ _not_ _look_. If he even so much as glanced at the cast-away weapon, Axel might realize and he'd be done for. So he kept him talking.

"Whatever I found was better than what I had with the Organization." He didn't mean it, but he just blurted out the first thing that popped into his mind. "I had a life, a home... I had friends. _Real_ friends." Ooh, that was low. He noticed Axel's hurt when his mouth opened to say something, but was closed again instantly. But Roxas knew offense was now the best defense. The sole thing holding back Axel's blade was the fact he was having second thoughts about killing his once best friend. Roxas needed him to have those second thoughts and sent a silent prayer to whatever greater power there might be that he wouldn't cross the thin line between confusing and convicting. If he only angered Axel...

"Why didn't you tell me when I asked, Axel?" Roxas forced a stern, serious expression onto his face. He had ever so slowly inched his free hand towards the direction the Oathkeeper laid. Just a little more... "Why didn't you tell me who I really was?"

Axel sighed and removed the chakram. "I was just trying to..." He never finished. Roxas summoned the Oathkeeper into his left hand and using Axel's distraction to his advantage, immediately slashed towards him to throw him off. The Oathkeeper let out a high, melodious sound – like a tender triangle cling – as it cut the hot air. Axel gasped in surprise and withdrew quickly, barely dodging the threatening swing. A metallic clang as the Oathkeeper met concrete. Roxas quickly stumbled up from the floor and glanced at Axel.

He didn't provide Axel with the luxury of recovering from the turn of tables. Roxas immediately lashed out to him, and Axel instinctively blocked his initial attack and tried to dodge to the side. For him, the wrong side. Roxas spun around a whole circle to gain momentum, all the while carefully shielding himself with his blades, and kicked still a bit confused Axel hard into his back. Axel yelped shortly in pain.

Roxas, however, had thrown himself a bit off balance as well. He didn't have the time to launch another assault before Axel came around completely.

Axel glanced to his opponent briefly, and with a snort and then a devastating smirk, he started deliberately backing away from Roxas, his haunting glare never leaving the blond. Roxas studied him a bit puzzled but not stupid enough to think Axel would be _done_. Far from it. But what the...?! Roxas's eyes widened and he gasped in sincere anticipation when Axel backed away almost far enough to be burned by the surrounding fire... and then stepped into the flames.

Roxas yelped in horror as he straightened up, forgetting the place and time and the battle. The instincts from a previous life told him to _gohelp_ Axel. He took a couple of quick steps forward and searched the scorching inferno for any trace of Axel. The flames seemed to crackle even louder than they had before. It was like they were mocking Roxas. They saw the bittersweet irony in Roxas's troubled behavior: Y_ou suck at being vengeful, brat. Some hate you claim to have..._

A cold shiver ran down Roxas's back when he unmistakably heard the deliberate footsteps of a hunter encircling him within those flames, and he finally realized the obvious. Roxas went white as understanding washed into him. He had been played. Big time. In some unfavorable mixture of primitive instinct and plain stupidity, he had let himself be disturbed. As _if_ the flame-wielder would give a rat's ass about stepping into a few flurries himself, Roxas thought bitterly at his utter _realization_ and cursed himself of letting his guard down for something as plain as that. He tried to focus, tried to listen and search for Axel's figure through the fire. Tried to _pull himself together_.

All the trying in the world couldn't have prepared him for Axel's attack. Fast like a whip, he rushed out of the wall of fire behind Roxas, his weapons oh, so ready to bring him down. Roxas had barely time to turn around to notice him – no time to even curse – when a spike ripped into the flesh in his side. Had he not moved at all, the spike would have punctured his spine. Roxas screamed out as the wave of hot, red pain washed through his system. His side felt like it was burning, and Roxas tried to ease the pain out by instinctively pressing his hand onto the fresh wound while still clutching his keyblade. He didn't have time for this! If he dropped down his defenses, he was dead. He looked for Axel, only to realize he had hidden into the flames again. Roxas snarled. He needed to focus. The wound hurt, but he forced his hand away from his slowly reddening side and readied his battle stance again. He knew he couldn't afford to lose it for anything. He had paid a high price for getting distracted. He didn't know how bad the cut was but was glad to notice that the pain was smoothing down into pulsating ache. Drawing in a few shaky breaths to calm himself a little, Roxas grabbed his weapons firmly and _listened_.

Crackling. Fire humming steadily as it ate away the oxygen in the room. The fire. Otherwise, silent. Roxas constantly spun around in vague attempt to locate his opponent. He hissed a little as the cut stung him painfully. He had the nasty feeling Axel was observing him from within the inferno, ready to lash at him at the slightest chance, and he couldn't afford to give him another one. Roxas really didn't wish to experience the agonizing sensation of a chakram piercing skin ever again. "Quit playing!" he angrily pleaded to the redhead. "Fight me!" Roxas slashed the hot air around him with the Oathkeeper to stress his frustrated words. He wanted to finish this.

Nothing. Axel didn't make a sound. Roxas's fear started to rise again and he started panicking. He felt like a cornered animal, which he knew he was. There was no escape, and that thought almost drove him into desperation. With significant effort and willpower, he managed to drop it and drew deep breaths to pull himself together. He mustn't lose it. Panic now, and you're dead, he told himself. Focus. Focus!

Axel walked. His boots tapped the concrete floor somewhere to Roxas's right, and he instantly spun around to the noise's direction, eyes eagerly searching for the redhead. "So you wanna finish this?" echoed a cold, yet unmistakable voice from within the flames. "Then SO BE IT!"

Axel yelled as he rushed towards Roxas, his chakrams at both of his sides. Roxas swallowed quickly to brace himself, and double-blocked the formidable weapons with a great effort. Roxas's side stung again as new pressure was tossed onto his strained body. Axel's chakrams were flaming at their tips, and the heat radiated onto the skin in Roxas's hands. Their eyes locked over their weapons as they battled strengths, Roxas snarling. "Why did you go, Roxas?!" Axel raged, and flames from his chakrams rose to frame his face for second. "Look at what it's come to!" Roxas snorted, not answering. And what could he say? He had given Axel his reason, back then. There was nothing left to say, he knew it. Roxas's knees bent as Axel pressed down harder. He let out a strangled gasp in desperation.

Roxas's strength was running out. He knew that in the long run, Axel was going to beat him. Beat the living daylights out of him, cut him to ribbons and cremate him. The thought raised a lump into his throat and he had to swallow hard to force it back down. Axel could read his struggling from his face, and eagerly pressed down using his whole weight. Roxas's hands caved in dangerously, and the keyblades shrieked at the added pressure against them and sent sparks flying in the air.

Not thinking, Roxas moved purely out of instinct. He stepped away from under his weapons in one swift movement, and let them yield under the pressure. Axel hadn't anticipated this, and his eyes widened as he overbalanced forward. Roxas saw his chance: an opening. He took a long, low step forward to balance himself and simultaneously sliced sideways with both of his blades. A long, deep slash. Into Axel's unprotected pelvis.

Time seemed to stop for a moment that to Roxas seemed like an hour. Bewitched, he watched as Axel's arms dropped, his chakrams hanging heavily in his loosened grip. Shaking, Axel turned to face Roxas, but didn't manage more than halfway before he slumped with a hiss, squeezing his eyes shut in pain.

Roxas couldn't avert his eyes from the redhead. He has to be in so much pain, Roxas thought briefly, but his expression remained stern and irritated-looking as fighting spirit still kept the adrenaline pumping in his ears. His hands gripping the keyblades shook – of both the thrill of the fight as well as shock. He had... _He_ had won. But he had... injured Axel as well.

The burning hell surrounding them was dying away, but he only barely noticed it. Likewise, the Oathkeeper and the Oblivion disappeared, unattended. Roxas could see nothing but red. He involuntarily swallowed as he witnessed the violent sight. He had wanted this, hadn't he? He had wanted to kill Axel, earlier. Roxas vaguely remembered having had a strong will to tear something apart. But now that thought suddenly seemed so far away as he watched the redhead slouching in front of him, bleeding. Despite everything, as he watched Axel, Roxas felt... bad. A tiny voice of what little reason was left there in Roxas's head whispered that the wound wasn't fatal, and he sighed in relief without even realizing it himself. Roxas took a step closer.

Roxas remembered. His long lost memories of their shared past seeped into his mind, little by little. He remembered how much he had treasured Axel's company, back then. He had admired the redhead so much – both as as mentor and a friend. He remembered he had felt himself good around Axel. Happy. And then he had left. And the memories caused him to feel oh, so guilty. But he knew he had done the right thing. He had left the Organization in order to look for the answer, and he had found it. And for that, Roxas thought sadly, he had had to sacrifice that one bond.

I'm a damn fool, Roxas thought hollowly as he stared at pained Axel. I'm so sorry, Axel. For everything. But I had no choice. I had to. I _needed_ to know. We both brought this upon ourselves. Roxas's hard eyes softened and his stern face melted into an almost apologetic frown.

I'm so sorry. Three little words Axel would never hear from Roxas.

"Axel..." Roxas began, his voice thick with sorrow but not shaking. He wanted to apologize, wanted to explain, wanted to tell Axel how much he had missed him, wanted to say _something_! He just couldn't force a sound out of him.

He didn't have to. For Axel understood. He had known Roxas the best when he still had been with the Organization, he could read him like a book. His voice – full of _understanding_, forgiveness even – said, "Let's meet again in the next life." Axel lifted his emerald eyes to look into Roxas's. He meant every word.

Roxas's heart leaped when he looked at Axel. Redemption. Happiness flooded into Roxas and his face lit up ever so slightly. But his eyes... they beamed. "Yeah," he sighed out loud in a breathless gasp, "I'll be waiting."

Axel blinked a couple of times. His eyes showed pain now, but there were another feelings, too. Roxas could see hope and... longing. Black smoky air started encircling Axel, seeping from his feet and upwards, engulfing him. Axel averted his eyes and shook his head slightly. With a forced little snort-y laughter he said, "Silly..." He turned to face Roxas through the engulfing haze of the opening dark portal. "Just because _you_ have a next life..."

The blue mixed into blackness, covering everything, conquering. And then Axel was gone. Roxas walked calmly to the spot where the last dying wisps of a dark portal still danced desperately and then disappeared altogether.


	5. V - Sora

**AN: So we finally meet Sora. I really, srsly can't stand DiZ. This chapter was both a joy to write but because of _him_ also a royal pain. Can I hurt him? Just a tiny tad? Please? Okey, fine... Let's still keep to the official material.**

**Anyway, enjoy and please comment!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Square-Enix does.**

V – Sora

It was cold in the corridor where numerous fluorescent lights cast a cold glow onto the metal walls. There were somewhat transparent pods looking like flower buds lined up against the left wall. They even had decorative or perhaps protective petal-like outer layers, which enhanced the idea of a flower. Each one of them stood on a decorated pedal, making them look majestic somehow. Roxas walked the corridor with heavy steps. He shivered a bit – It sure is nippy in here, he thought. He felt the hair in his arms stand up.

With every step he took, he grew slightly more anxious. He had the hunch that the whatever it was he was looking for was close. Very close. He was feeling a strange mixture of sorrow and eagerness. On one hand, he was terrified to go on, terrified to find what he hardly even dared to think he would find. But then again, he had had enough. He was done with this shit. He knew that come what may, he would finally find out what was happening to him and settle it. Naminé's words returned to him as he quietly passed half a dozen pods, not paying particular attention to them.

"_You won't disappear. You'll be whole._"

Disappear. Roxas snorted. No-one says stuff like that. The girl's people skills sucked big time. He couldn't help but laugh at the thought, although morbidly. He was under way too much insecurity to be able to process the thought seriously.

Then a particular pod caught his attention. Eyebrows rising, he turned his full attention towards the smoke-colored object. And more particularly, towards what he saw inside. Perplexed, he observed the person so very familiar to him from his – or Sora's? – dreams. Not bothering to wonder how he knew him, Roxas observed the person carefully. Donald Duck was floating inside the pod, eyes closed and a relaxed atmosphere surrounding him. Apparently asleep, thought Roxas, before his gaze traveled to his right, and he saw another person asleep in a similar pod. "Goofy?" he wondered out loud. Well, of course, Roxas thought. If they are both here, then... probably... _he_, too... He turned to gaze over his shoulder at a massive automatic blast door at the end of the corridor. Roxas's stomach dropped as realization hit him. He was right. Right there, right behind that door... he would find what he had been looking for for so long. He would find _him_.

* * *

The room was massive, seemed to go on forever for Roxas saw no walls besides the one he had entered through. All he saw was smoky light, and in the distance a white object – perhaps another similar pod – and the outline of another person. And calming colors of blue and green and white. It instantly made him think of a lake or an ocean. Water. Calm, cold. _Drowning_. Roxas quickly shook his head to dismiss that final association. He didn't need to make his own situation any worse than it was.

The floor of the room was no real floor. Roxas actually had to summon some faith to dare to step onto the blue impossibility; it seemed like walking on water. But the surface was firm and supportive and it reassured him greatly. Relieved, he started crossing the enormous room towards the pod and the person standing in front of it. He couldn't quite see him just yet to be sure, but he had a pretty good hunch who that someone was, and his fists clenched involuntarily. He had _not_ forgotten all the shit that man had so generously piled on his back.

DiZ didn't seem to even blink as he observed Roxas approaching him. It irritated Roxas greatly. There was something unnatural about his scrutinizing stare, and Roxas had to draw a few quick breaths to calm himself. He couldn't lose it. Not now, at least. He was so close. Calm down, he thought. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale... His shoulders relaxed a little, but the angry, dangerous glare on his face never left. This man didn't deserve it.

"At last! The Keyblade's Chosen One." DiZ's voice was deep and quiet, but Roxas thought it filled the space, echoed from the barely existing walls with magnified volume and ignored the at least 20 yards separating them, roaring inside his head like he was in there himself. He hated this particular characteristic: it always made him shiver. It was fucking creepy. Roxas shook as a shiver ran through his whole body. He got scared. But he had to go on. It was too late to turn back now, and even if he did try to run, where could he possibly go?

Nevertheless, Roxas had absolutely no intention to just sheepishly obey. Defiantly – but also a bit scared – he stopped firmly about 10 yards from DiZ's despicable appearance. He glanced the pod behind the man quickly before turning his eyes to him. With all the hate and poison he could muster, he demanded, "Who are you talking to: me or Sora?" Roxas stared at DiZ hatefully.

"To _half_ of Sora, of course." He had expected a cocky answer, but it still made Roxas's blood boil. He grit his teeth together so hard it hurt and felt his whole body tense up. Half of Sora. _Half of _fucking_Sora_! He himself wasn't even acknowledged. He wasn't a person! Oh, no. To this guy, he was less than a rabid dog. He was a slaughter animal. Roxas's breath caught to his throat and his glare turned cruel. I swear to god, he though, I'm gonna fucking kill you. It took him all his willpower to stop himself from barking back something explicit, but biting his lip so hard it probably drew blood, he managed to remain silent and just keep glaring at the man with all the hatred in the universe.

DiZ didn't seem to pay any attention to Roxas's silent eruption. Instead, he went on coldly, "You reside in Darkness." _You are unnecessary_. _You are defective_. _You are a mistake I'm not likely to make again_. The man's unvoiced thoughts spoke more clearly to Roxas. "What I need is someone who can move about the Realm of Light, and destroy Organization XIII." Who the hell does the bastard think he is?!

"Why? Who are you?!"

"I... am a servant of the world." DiZ laughed cruelly. "And if I'm a _servant_, then you should consider yourself a _tool_, at best."

That's it. That was fucking it! Roxas's rage broke all hell loose. His voice shook from anger as he spat out from behind his grit teeth, "Was that... Was that supposed to be a joke?! 'Cause I'm not laughing!" Summoning his Keyblade, he launched to attack the bastard. His eyes blazed. He was gonna tear him apart.

DiZ still didn't move as furious Roxas ran to him, and his calmness just irritated Roxas even more. Roxas readied his weapon and sliced the man in half as he rushed by him. DiZ never even blinked. The blade had gone straight through him. Bewildered, Roxas turned to stare at the man, his eyes like saucers. "Huh?!" His exclamation was beyond confused: frustrated, enraged and blood-thirsty. And greatly disappointed. His furious frown returned as he observed the perfectly intact essence in front of him.

"My apologies." DiZ's voice carried zero emotion, and if some, it was mockery. "This is only a data-based projection."

At that, Roxas broke down completely. Rage, disappointment, hate, fear, anger, longing, vengeance, all of his mixed feelings exploded inside him. A desperate roar tore out of his throat, carrying his suffering out for the world to witness. All he could hear was the echo. It didn't make him feel better. If anything, it left him feel defeated and powerless.

Knowing nothing but the urge to destroy something before he would be destroyed himself, he turned to beat the projection again. In his mind, he knew it was in vain, but he didn't care. He slashed it again and again, wanting to cause _pain_. The reflection didn't make a sound. Roxas soon ran out of energy, and with one last weak attempt to avenge himself, he tried to split the damned essence. He raised his blade heavily – exhausted – and stroke the projection. It immediately vanished into a mess of incomprehensible data.

Roxas was worn out. He couldn't even raise his Keyblade again; Roxas let its tip drop into the ground. He heaved heavily as he stared into the new nothingness appearing in front of him. His muscles ached and his whole body shook from the previous flood of adrenaline, mixed together with rage and desperation. Roxas could hear his pulse pumping in his ears – it had probably never been that loud – as he tried to catch his breath. He was so torn. His fury had subsided, quieted down like someone had flicked a switch into OFF position. He was still seething, obviously, and terror was starting to creep into him again as his rage yielded. But he had lost the energy to rage on any longer. He was broken. He felt _so_ little, so insignificant and weak. Roxas would have wanted to cry, but somehow he lacked the energy to do even that.

He gathered himself, however, when DiZ's projection reappeared behind him. The projection had ordered him to come closer. He didn't feel like complying, but he didn't want to look weak either, and in front of _him_ least of all people. He forced himself to stand up gracefully and hold the Keyblade up when he turned to face him again, a dangerous expression settling upon his features. DiZ was standing in front of the huge pod that looked even more like a flower bud than those he had seen in the corridor. DiZ's face betrayed nothing.

Neither of them said nothing, they just kept glaring at each other – one with disinterest, the other with unfiltered loathing. Slowly, Roxas found his guts again and brought his Keyblade in front of his face threateningly. "_I hate you so much_!" He stressed every word.

"You should share some of that hatred with Sora. He's far too nice for his own good," DiZ dismissed Roxas's ominous tone with not as much as a shrug.

"No! My heart belongs to me!" Roxas yelled defiantly.

With a new burst of awakened strength he didn't know he possessed he leaped forward into attack. He brought the Keyblade aggressively down into DiZ's shoulder – slicing air as the emotionless projection eyed at the stubborn boy before disappearing into data beam.

A white light shone through the shell of the pod from the numerous seams. Roxas swallowed nothing. Horrified that he actually would see the expected, he watched unmoving as the large metal-like petals of the pod started opening in front of his eyes. This is it then, he thought, partly sad, partly scared. He didn't know what was going to happen to him once the pod was opened, but he knew for sure that it would be the end of him. He was not going to leave this place alive. And at the moment, for some reason, the idea of dying – or was it more like disappearing completely as he feared – didn't seem so horrible anymore. It seemed almost natural, like this was what he had lived for, like this was his purpose.

To die. So that the other could live.

It seemed so clear to him now as he watched how the brown-haired boy's face appeared from behind the layers and layers of metal petals. I see, he thought, so this really is him. This is...

"Sora..."

Roxas studied the peaceful expression on Sora's face, somewhat jealous that he was blessed with such tranquility whereas his own life had gone helter-skelter. So, what now, he asked in his mind, but only rhetorically. He didn't want to hear the answer. He _knew_ the answer. Suddenly, it seemed like he had always known it, somewhere deep in his – or Sora's?! – heart; he just had never been able to reach it. His face dropped. Roxas stood up straight, but his essence was defeated. Crushed. Unceremonious like the lost party who has to get up from the arena just to crawl away with the shame.

Roxas thought of his friends: Hayner, Pence, Olette... Thought of how they were hunting for the Seven Wonders for a school project just a day ago. He wondered if they were going to be alright, just the three of them. Especially Pence would need someone to look after him, he thought. He thought of Axel... A tiny flicker of something still tried to surface upon the thought, but Roxas lacked the energy to care at this point. He saw the whole pattern. The perfect design to his fate. The scheming within the Organization... His escape and capture by _that man_ and that silver-haired Heartless guy... Naminé... Sora.

Sora. Roxas raised his head to look at the boy. He felt empty inside. At the moment he had seen Sora's face, his own existence had become insignificant, even to himself. He knew now. This was where he belonged. With Sora. He took a couple of slow steps towards the pod. But... the thought about... disappearing... His head felt dizzy every time that horrific word entered his consciousness. He wanted to cry, but there were no tears to shed.

Sora looked relaxed and peaceful. Equally fast asleep as Donald and Goofy had been back there, Roxas thought. With a long, deep sigh, he finally surrendered to his faith, and with an unhappy smile he said,

"You're lucky. Looks like my summer vacation is... over."


	6. VI - Warmth

**AN: See bottom of the text**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, its characters nor do I hold any rights to them, unfortunately. All praise and glory to Square-Enix and Disney.**

VI – Warmth

Warm.

The touch felt so warm. Comforting. _Inviting_.

Visibly shaking and his eyes like saucers Roxas had somehow managed to climb onto the metallic petal. His terrified eyes never leaving Sora's face, he had drawn a few shaky breaths to summon the courage to finally face his fate. He had slowly started inching closer to him. Reached out to him...

Not knowing what was to happen to him, he had feared the worst. That Sora's ribcage would suddenly tear open, skin would peel from bones and muscle tissue, bones shattering in half, revealing the undisclosed dark monsters habiting him that would devour Roxas in whole. That he would be dragged into the inner Hell of this seemingly innocent boy, doomed to be engulfed again and again, to suffer for all eternity.

Or that he, just like Naminé had before, would just disintegrate. Vanish into thin air in bits and pieces, and would never be anything – not _anything_, not even a Nobody – anymore. Or perhaps Sora would drain the dear life out of him, leaving behind nothing but an empty shell that used to be Roxas. His hand trembled so much when he reached out towards Sora's hand. With significant willpower and effort, he managed to still it for a little while, just to calm himself enough to be able to maintain the control of his own limbs.

For Roxas thought, If this is going to be the end of me, then I'll at least face it like a man. With pride. Not like some pathetically shaking maple leaf struggling in the harshest of October tempests.

Gulping quietly, he reached out to touch Sora's fingers. He prepared to feel pain, freezing cold, tearing agony. Whatever was going to happen to him, Roxas assumed, was going to be nothing...

_Nice_?

Roxas blinked, with a surprised expression settling upon his previously terrified features. When his hand met Sora's – _slipped through_ _and_ _into_ Sora's – Roxas felt the same calming, warming sensations that had previously emitted from his keyblades again creeping up his fingers, his hand, his arm, all the way making their way towards his non-existent heart. The warmth spread into his neck and ribcage, gaining more force and rushing quickly throughout his system. Roxas felt how the new power gathered to warm his chest, radiating, _pulsating_.

Then, he jerked a little when he unmistakably felt a strong beat inside his chest. His mouth widened into an unvoiced gasp of surprise, not pain. It sounded like a bass drum – deep with a long-lasting echo. And another one. And another one.

Beating. Undoubtedly, a _heart _beating.

"_You won't disappear. You'll be whole."_ Naminé's suddenly so distant words echoed somewhere in the back of Roxas's consciousness, but he only barely noticed them. His attention was focused onto the new sensations in his chest, the new emotions.

I see, Roxas thought. So this is what you meant, Naminé. That I'd be whole. Now I understand. So this is the power of the Keyblade Master. The power of – Roxas gulped a little – Sora. _My_ Sora.

Roxas's mouth spread into a heartily smile, his eyes shining with content. Oh, he was so sure of it now. Knew his purpose. That's something so humane: to know what's the purpose of life. Many chase that information until the end of their days, but now Roxas knew his. It was right here, to be one with Sora. This is where he belonged, it felt _soright_. The steady pulse in his chest reassured him, and he laid a grateful look into Sora. It felt a bit bad Sora would probably never know, though.

Drawing the last deep breath of air and closing his eyes, Roxas took a bold step forward, inside Sora.

* * *

Roxas saw nothing but darkness. It surrounded him from all sides, went on forever. He didn't feel scared, though. In fact, it was warm and didn't seem threatening. More like a dream. It felt like those hazy seconds of half-dream when one's not quite awake yet but not asleep anymore, either. These were Sora's feelings, now surrounding him.

And Roxas knew he was watching him. He could feel his studying eyes on his back, curiously observing him, wondering. He turned to look at the boy standing in the darkness. Sora was there, his brown head tilted to the side and his ocean blue eyes fixed on Roxas's. He had lifted an eyebrow in a silent question: who are you?

Roxas greeted him eagerly, "Sora!"

I need you to wake up now, Sora. I'm here, I came back. You're ready now. _We're_ ready now. Go. Your friends are out there, they are waiting for you. It's alright. You can do it now. We're a whole again. Wake up.

Suddenly, the blackness surrounding them crackled as innumerable rays of light forced their way from outside into the darkness around them, forcing it to yield. As Roxas slowly felt melting together with the new light, he smiled. He wasn't worried. He wouldn't disappear as he had feared. He would simply go on existing as a part of Sora. Like he, in a way, for so long had.

The last thing he heard before whiteness engulfed him was,

"W-who's there?"

* * *

Roxas hugged his knees tightly to his chest, crawling into fetus position. He was floating through darkness. He thought he was sinking eternally. And he felt tired, oh, so tired. He didn't mind, he just wanted to rest. The floating was soft and it was lulling him into sleep. Gradually, he felt himself drifting into sleep, all the while hugging his knees to comfort and to keep himself warm as he drifted deeper into oblivious slumber.

* * *

**AN: Snif. I did it. I gave him a heart. Because he damn well deserves one!**

**This, I think, is where I'm gonna leave this story. I did consider, however, basically rewriting the most important points of the entire KHII from Roxas's POV, as he sees them through Sora. But nay, I'm definitely not gonna go there. Would be way too much...**

**I appreciate all the comments, especially constructive criticism that you have. Please let me know what you think. And also, if you'd like to suggest what to write about next...**

**Ja suomalaiselle yleisölle: Suosittelen lämpimästi kuuntelemaan tämän tarinan oheen Apulannan biisin Vääryyttä. Ja vaikka ette tarinaa lukisikaan, niin kuunnelkaa silti. (Dear English-speaking reader, I'm suggesting the Finnish-speaking audiences to listen to a particular song in Finnish by Apulanta. It would be of little use if one doesn't know the language...)**


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